Text: Joshua 6:1-7:1
The city of Jericho was the oldest city with a wall. Yet, it was only 6 - 9 acres. One acre is slightly less than part of a football field. So, Jericho was equivalent to about 7 1/2 football fields. Just to give you another reference point, Longwood Gardens here in Pennsylvania is 1,000 acres. The wall itself was 5 - 6 1/2 feet thick and about 12 feet high.
Jericho and Ai were strategic to the Israelites because taking these two locations would effectively cut the Promised Land in half. Jericho had about one million people, who lived in villages surrounding the city. When there was threat of attack, they'd retreat behind its walls.
The wall was an obstacle the Israelites had no way of conquering in their own strength. God gave them a blueprint on how to take the city:
1. Who - the men of War and Joshua
2. With the Ark of the Covenant
3. Once every day for six days they were to walk around the wall in silence. Knowing the dimensions of the city, this would only take 10 minutes.
4. 7 Priests will each bear or carry a trumpet.
5. On the 7th day, they were to walk around the city 7 times.
6. A long blast of the trumpets signals the people to shout.
7. They were then instructed to kill every man, woman, child in the city with the exception of Rahab and her family because she assisted the spies.
8. They were also told not to take the stuff. If it breathed, kill it. If it burns, burn it. If its worth a great deal (like gold and other metals), give it to God.
What kind of blueprint does God give us? We're each different, and He has a plan.
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